Spokane's Revolt Against a Railroad-Backed Senator

OLYMPIA, Jan. 20.—Special.—The campaign of John L. Wilson is an anomalous one. The people at Spokane and Eastern Washington are today at poverty's door, and they attribute this condition to excessive freight rates. They claim that the very lifeblood is being drawn out of them by the transcontinental railroads. They are seeking relief in every direction. They will soon present the matter to the legislature and ask for legislation for their interests, and so strong is the belief that an injustice is being done to the people of Eastern Washington that Gov. McGraw, in his annual message, broadly intimates that a reduction of freight and passenger rates would not work a serious injury to the railroads.

And yet a number of the members of the legislature from Eastern Washington are supporting Wilson for a seat in the United States Senate; they are supporting the man who is today the candidate of the four great transcontinental railroads—the Great Northern, the Northern Pacific, the Union Pacific and the Southern Pacific. These roads have joined forces for the purpose of electing to the Senate men in the Western states who are positively known to be friendly to them. Wilson has been tried by them in Congress and has not failed them. He is recorded on the side of the railways, and for that reason the four great railroads have their lobby here now, working quietly and none the less effectively.

The people of Spokane County have had abundant opportunity to observe Wilson's sentiments on free silver. They do not believe he is a friend of free silver, and therefore oppose his election. Their opposition has taken the form of a written protest: “We, the voters of Spokane county, want a United States senator who is a friend of free silver. We do not believe Wilson to be a friend. We therefore ask the members of the legislature to refrain from voting for Mr. Wilson for senator.” These protests have been circulated by some of the best citizens of Spokane County, and daily thousands of new signatures are being added.

SPOKANE, Jan. 20.—Special.—The popular petition against the election of Wilson to the Senate proves the greatest popular movement in the history of this county. The county towns are now being heard from. The total is 3,000 signers, of whom more than 2,500 are from this city. The Spokesman-Review will say editorially tomorrow: “Three thousand voters of this county have entered an emphatic protest against the election of John L. Wilson as senator. Hundreds are signing daily. The total vote of the city in the last election was about 3,500. Five-sevenths of the voters of this city have therefore already petitioned the legislature not to elect Wilson. This is a tremendous indictment for members from this county to ignore. It proves beyond all question that the people do not want Wilson.

“For this terrific popular uprising Mr. Wilson has himself to blame. The people are against him now because, after a fair trial, he has failed them in their hour of need. He has misrepresented them upon the silver question. He has voted to betray them to the exactions of greedy railway corporations. He has saddled upon them a rapacious, domineering machine which stands between them and retrenchment and reform. These are the reasons which cause Spokane to stand up and declare to the rest of the state that she wants no more of Wilson and his ring.”